Knockdown container



Oct. 10, 1967 A. J.-OSB ORN KNOCKDOWN CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 21-, 1966 ALBERT J. OSBORN ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1967 A. J. OSBORNKNOCKDOWN CONTAINER 5 Sheets$heet 2 Filed July 21, 1966 INVENTORATTORNEY}? Oct. 10, 1967 A. J. OSBORN 3,346,136

' KNOGKDOWN CONTAINER Filed July 21, .1966 r z Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORALBERT J. OSBORN 'ATTORNEYJ' United States Patent 3,346,136 KNOCKDOWNCONTAINER Albert J. Osborn, Shawano, Wis., assignor'to HotzManufacturiug Company, Shawano, Wis., a partnership Filed July 21, 1966,Ser. No. 566,919 3 Claims. (Cl. 217-12) This invention relates to animproved knock down reuseable container.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide acontainer, crate, enclosure and the like having particular reference toa knock down structure which may be manufactured as a plurality of unitsor parts for assembly into a rigid container.

Another object is to provide a container which may be transported andstored in a knock down form for assembly when the container is to beused without the use of tools in a relatively simple manner.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a knockdown container wherein each of the, sides is separate from the bottomwhereby various heights and types of side panels and bottoms may beassembled to provide different sizes and kinds of structures as thecircumstances may require.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such astructure including a compartmented bottom whereby the container whetherknock down or assembled may be readily moved and transported usingconventional forklift type transporting means.

In general, the present invention comprises a knock down, reusablecontainer comprising a bottom wall and two pairs of side walls, saidbottom wall including paral-' lel, longitudinal grooves extending thelength of a pair of opposite edges of the bottom wall and spacedinwardly from their respective edges, the other pair of side edges eachhaving a depending skirt member secured thereto, the bottom edge of eachskirt member being beveled inwardly and upwardly, each wall of said onepair of said side walls including a planar panel and a cross stripsecured adjacent the top and bottom edge of the panel, each bottom edgecross strip being spaced inwardly of its panel to provide a portion ofsaid panel adapted to be received in the corresponding longitudinalgroove in the bottom wall, each wall of said other pair of said wallsincluding a planar panel and a cross strip secured adjacent the top andbottom edge thereof, and a further cross strip secured on the inner faceof each of said other pair of side wall panels adjacent the bottom edgethereof, the upper edge of each further cross strip being beveleddownwardly and outwardly and complementary to the bevel on each of thebottom wall skirts, each of the side wall cross strips joining atadjacent edges in an overlap configuration and removable pin meansthrough each of the lap joints formed by said cross strips.

The invention will be more particularly described in reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the features ofthe present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of one of the pair of side walls of thebox illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the wall shown in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of one of the other of the pair of sidewalls;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the side wall illustrated in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the bottom'wall means of the containerillustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the lowerportion of the container illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged detailed view of the side walls illustrated inFIGURES 2 and 3 assembled to the bottom wall means; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view of the lap joint andinterconnecting means for the side walls of the container illustrated inFIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 generally designates a containerconstructed in accordance with the present invention. The container 10includes a bottom wall means 12, a pair of side walls 14 and 14 and afurther pair of side walls 16 and 16'. The preferred container alsoincludes structures depending from the bottom wall means 12 andgenerally designated 18 adapted to support the bottom wall means 12 inspaced relationship from the ground to provide a space receptive of theforks of a conventional forklift type transport vehicle.

The bottom wall means 12 includes a planar panel portion 20 which panelportion 20 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending parallelgrooves 22 and 22' adjacent one pair of opposed side edges of the bottomwall means 12. The grooves 22 and 22 are spaced just inwardly of edges24 and 24 of the bottom panel which corresponds to the edges which areparallel with side walls 16 and 16'. The bottom Wall means also includesa pair of depending skirt members 26 and 26 which skirt members are eachprovided with a beveled lower edge 28. The bevels 28 slope upwardly andinwardly as illustrated in the drawings and in particular in FIGURE 8thereof.

In the preferred form of construction the undersurface of the bottomwall means 12 has secured thereto three depending structural membersgenerally designated 30a, 30b, and 300. The structural members 30a, b,and 0 have a length greater than the length of the depending cross orskirt members 26 and 26 and the lower surfaces .of the structuralmembers 30a, b, and c are interconnected by other cross members 32 and32. The spaces 34 and 34' formed by the cross members 32, 32', thestructural members 30a, b, and c and the undersurface of the bottom wallmember 12 are adapted to receive the times of a conventional furcatedforklift vehicle whereby the container 10 may be lifted and transportedto the desired location.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 2 and 3 each of the first pair of sidewalls 14 and 14' are identical in function and configuration andtherefore only side wall 14 will be described herein. Sidewall 14includes a planar panel portion 38. The panel portion 38 may, like thebottom portion, be constructed of a plurality of boards as indicated inthe drawings.

Along the top edge 40 of the panel 38 is secured a cross member 42. Thecross member 42 is provided with cut out portions 44 and 44 adjacent theextended ends thereof to provide ear portions 46 and 46' which extendbeyond the lateral edges 48 and 48' of the panel 38. A similar crossmember 50 is secured to the same face of the panel 38 at a distanceupwardly from the bottom edge 52 of the panel 38.

The cross member 50 like cross member 42 is shaped to provide a pair ofwing portions 54 and 54 which extend beyond the edges 48 and 48'respectively of the side panel 38. The inner surface 56 of the panel 38has secured thereto a further cross member 58 which cross member ismounted parallel to the bottom edge 52 of the panel 38 and the top edgeof the cross member 58 is beveled as at 60. The bevel 60, slopesdownwardly and outwardly when the panel is in its assembled position.The bevels 60 are also complementary to the bevels 28 and 28' on theskirts 26 and 26' of the base or bottom assembly 12.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings the other wallportions 16 and 16' are identical in construction and therefore onlywall portion 16 will be specifically described herein.

The wall portion 16 includes a planar panel 64 which like panel 38 maybe constructed of a plurality of boards. The width of the boards formingthe panel 64 is so selected that the lower portion 66 thereof will besnugly received in the cooperating grooves 22 and 22' formed in thebottom wall panel 12. Like wall 14 wall 16 is provided with an uppercross member 66 which cross member is shaped to provide a pair of cars68 and 68' which ears cooperate with cars 46 and 46' of the other pairof side walls 14 or 14' to provide a lap joint which lap joint isgenerally designated 70 in FIGURE 9 of the drawings. It will also benoted particularly in FIGURE 9 that each ear portion 46 and 46', 68 and68 is bored to receive retaining pin means generally designated 72.

Panel 64 like panel 38 is also provided with a lower cross member 74which cross member is spaced upwardly a distance indicated at 76 fromthe bottom edge 78 of the panel. The cross member 74 is also providedwith ear portions 76 and 76' which correspond to ear portions 54 and 54of the cross member 50 of wall portions 14 and 14' described withreference to FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings. The ear portions 76 and76', 54 and 54' cooperate to provide lap joints generally designated 80in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. Each of these ear portions is also bored toreceive retaining pins 82 as to be more fully described hereinafter.

The spacing between the lower edge of the cross member 74 and the loweredge 78 of the panel 64 is such that when the side walls are in theirassembled position the lower surface 86 of each of the cross members 74rests on the upper surface of the bottom panel 12 as more clearly shownin FIGURE 7 of the drawing.

In assembling the improved container the base or bottom wall portion 12is positioned as illustrated, for example, in FIGURE 6. Then side walls14 and 14 are placed adjacent the corresponding side edges of the bottompanel means 12 and the beveled edges 60 and 60' of side walls 14 and 14are slid into cooperative engagement with the beveled portion 28 and 28'of skirts 26 and 26' carried by the bottom portion. After these panelsare slid into cooperative engagement the other side walls 16 and 16 areassembled with the lower edge of each of the wall means in engagementwith the corresponding grooves 22 and 22' in the bottomwall. With thesepanels in position pins 72 and 82 are inserted in the lap joints 70 and80 to interlock the entire structure.

It will be particularly noted that the length of side walls 16 and 16'is such that when these walls are inserted on the bottom wall 12 thelateral side edges overlap the side edges of side walls 14 and 14 tothereby lock side walls 14 and 14' from side ways movement.

To disassemble the container the reverse procedure is followed.

From the foregoing description of a preferred form of the presentinvention it will be seen that the present container fully accomplishesthe aim and objects hereinabove set forth. It will also be appreciatedby those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made inthe form and type of construction without departing from the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A knock down, reuseable, container comprising a bottom wall and twopairs of side walls, said bottom wall including parallel longitudinalgrooves extending the length of a pair of opposed edges of the bottomwall and spaced inwardly from their respective side edges, the otherpair of side edges of the bottom wall each having a depending skirtmember secured thereto, the bottom edge of each skirt member beingbeveled inwardly and upwardly, each side wall of one pair of side wallsincluding a planar panel, the thickness of said panels being selected tosnugly fit into the longitudinal grooves in said bottom wall, and across strip secured adjacent the top and bottom edges of said planarpanel, the bottom edge strip of each of said one pair of side wallsbeing spaced inwardly of its panel to provide a portion of said paneladapted to be received in the corresponding longitudinal grooves in thebottom Wall, each side wall of the other pair of side walls including aplanar panel and a cross strip secured adjacent to the top and bottomedges of the panel, and a further cross strip secured on the inner faceof the panel adjacent the bottom edge of each panel, the upper edge ofeach of said further cross strips being beveled downwardly and outwardlyand complementary to the bevel on the corresponding bot-tom wall skirt,each of said side walls cross strips joining at adjacent edges of thecontainer in a lapping configuration and removable pin means througheach of the cross strip lap joints.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said container isconstructed of wood.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 including structural members securedto the undersurface of the bottom wall and runners interconnecting thestructural members to provide forklift receiving spaces between theground and the undersurface of the bottom wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,043,379 11/1912 Wight 2l7l22,710,703 6/1955 Kephar-t 2l7l2 3,080,992 3/1963 Dedmon 2l748 RAPHAEL H,SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner.

1. A KNOCK DOWN, REUSEABLE, CONTAINER COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL AND TWOPAIRS OF SIDE WALLS, SAID BOTTOM WALL INCLUDING PARALLEL LONGITUDINALGROOVES EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF A PAIR OF OPPOSED EDGES OF THE BOTTOMWALL AND SPACED INWARDLY FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGES, THE OTHERPAIR OF SIDE EDGES OF THE BOTTOM WALL EACH HAVING A DEPENDING SKIRTMEMBER SECURED THERETO, THE BOTTOM EDGE OF EACH SKIRT MEMBER BEINGBEVELED INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY, EACH SIDE WALL OF ONE PAIR OF SIDE WALLSINCLUDING A PLANAR PANEL, THE THICKNESS OF SAID PANELS BEING SELECTED TOSNUGLY FIT INTO THE LONGITUDINAL GROOVES IN SAID BOTTOM WALL, AND ACROSS STRIP SECURED ADJACENT THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID PLANARPANEL, THE BOTTOM EDGE STRIP OF EACH OF SAID ONE PAIR OF SIDE WALLSBEING SPACED INWARDLY OF ITS PANEL TO PROVIDE A PORTION